Purifying liquors from wool-washings.



Patented Sept. 5, |899.

Nn. 632,4l9.

W.. LEACH.

PURIFYING LIUUORS FRUM WDUL WASHINGS.

(Application led Feb. 1, 1899.)'

3 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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No. 632,419. Patented sept. 5, |899. w. LEAcH.

PURIFYING LlllUURS FRUM WOOL WASHINGS.

(Application filed Feb. 1, 1899.

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No. 632,419. Patented Sept. 5, |899.

' W. LEACH.

PURIFYING LIOUORS FROM WOOL WAS'HINGS.

(Application Sled Feb. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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llNiTEn STATES PATENT EEicEa W'ALTER LEAOH, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO THE JOHN SMITH Kt SONS, LIMITED, OF SAMEPLACE.

PURIFYING LIQUORS FROM WOOL-WASHINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming Apart of Letters Patent No. 632,419, datedSeptember .5, 1899. Application filed February l, 1899. Serial No.704,029, (No specimens.)

T0 all who/'1t 'if 'nt/ty concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER LEACH, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Bradford, in the county of York, England, haveinvented certain new and useful lmprovements in the Treatment of W'ashLiquors from Wool and other Animal Fiber to Recover the Grease andPotash Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

'Wool and other animal fibers-such as alpaca, mohair', and the likes-areWashed or treated with soap and alkali in Water to remove the grease andpotash therefrom, and by the processes hitherto adopted it has beenfound difcult or impossible to recover or separate all the grease fromthe wash liquors and the greasy effluents have been difficult to purifyor dispose of and are objectionable when run into sewers or drains. Bythis invention the potash and grease washed out of the Wool and thealkali and soap employed for the purpose can be effectuallyseparated andrecovered from the wash liquors, leaving a residue or effluent of cleanwater available afterward for washing purposes, the sepa-V ratedmaterials bein utilized as valuable byproducts.

It consists, essentially, in concentrating the wash liquors or soapsolution,known as sud liquor, from the washbowl to increase its densityuntil there is a considerable dilference in density between the fattymatter-t'. e., woolgrease-aud soapy potash solution, and then separatingthe denser part of the liquid or solution from the lighter in acentrifugal machine, and finally purifying the separated liqnids toobtain lanolin from one and potash from the other.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate a plant suitablyconstructed and arranged forthe purpose of carrying it out, though it is to be understood that theinvention may be carried out by any apparatus that may be found to besuitable therefor.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation. FigQS is a sectional plan.

ln carrying out the invention I prefer to dispense with any preliminarywashing or steeping of the wool in water.

The wool, (orotheranimal fiber,) preferably in its raw or crude state,is washed in an alkaline solution with soap in the usual Way. After thiswashing the liquor contains the natural fat and potash that wereadhering to the wool, and it is this wash liquor that is treated by thisinvention to separate and recover therefrom the lanolin, potash, andother substances contained therein, leaving the water clean and suitablefor reuse. I find by concentrating the wash liquor-reducing it to aboutone-tenth to one-twentieth of its former volume-that the difference indensity hetween the fatty matter or lanolin contained therein and thepotash solution renders the two capable of separation by me chanicalmeans, the density then being about specific gravity of 916 for thefatty matter and about specific gravity 1,350 for the alka-` linesolution. The wash or sud liquor is concentrated by boiling in anysuitable concentrator or evaporator G until reduced to the requiredvolume and density and is then run into a tank or holder A. The steam orwater evaporated off is preferably collected for reuse in washing in atank or cistern B. The liquor from the tank or holder A (which serves asa supply-tank) is run into centrifugal separators O, wherein the lightermaterial is separated from the heavier, the fat or fatty matter beingpractically all separated from the other liquor. The fat thus separatedis practically all lanolin and the other liquor a solution of potash,which runs fromthe separators to the tanks or holders D and E,respectively. The separated fatty matter is puried by any ordinary orwell-known means, rendering a lanolin or wool-fat of good quality freefrom fatty acids for use either for pharmaceutical, manufacturing, ordomestic purposes. The effluent potash liquor from the tank or holder Eis then run into and treated in a yaryan or suitable concentrator orevaporator G and the water is evaporated off until it is concentrated toa thick, syrupy, or pasty consistency, which is delivered into tank A.The condensed or distilled water is collected in the tank B for reuse.

The concentrator Gis employed for concentrating the sud or wash liquorand subsequently for concentrating the potash solution after separationof the fat. The concentrated product is placed in a rotary or othercalcining furnace H, in which it is heated or calcined to remove organicimpurities, leaving a residual product of potash. This is collected andmay be further purified by a process of crystallization or otherwise.

The insoluble impurities, sand, dac., may be allowed to settle from theliquor prior to concentration; but I prefer to4 pass the whole of thesaid liquor, with the sand and insolubleimpurities, into theconcentrator and to remove them in the centrifugal machine, in which,being 'denser than the fat and potash solution, they are driven to theoutside under centrifugal action and can be removed therefrom bymechanical means.

Although I prefer to wash the wool in its original raw state, it may befirst steeped or Washed with pure Water to remove the potash and solidmatter and then subsequently washed with soap, the soap liquor beingtreated as above described to purify it and recover the lanoliutherefrom.

The water distilled off during concentration is collected in the tank Band used for further washing.

B' is a tank for water.

K is a storage-tank for the wash liquors prior to concentration, and L Lare steamboilers, the flues of which communicate with the chimney M.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combined process of purifying and recovering valuable productsfrom the Wash liquors from Wool and other animal fibers which consistsin concentrating the wash liquor, to increase the density thereof andrender the fatty matter capable of mechanically separating from thesolution, and separating the concentrated 'fat and potash liquor in amechanical centrifugal machine, substantially as described.

2. The combined process of purifying and recovering valuable productsfrom the wash liquors from wool and other animal bers which consists inconcentrating the wash liquor to a density to render the fatty mattercapable of being separated by mechanical means, separating the fat andthe alkaline liquor mechanicallyin a centrifugal machine, purifying thefat obtained therefrom and further concentrating the liquor to a pastyconsistency and then calcining it to remove organic matter substantiallyas described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of January, 1899.

VALTER LEACH.

lVitnesses:

JNO. HENRY WADE, H. O. WADE.

